Evolution Computing

Evolution Computing is an American software company that develops computer-aided design (CAD) programs for personal computers. According to its official website, the company has been in business since 1977 and is based at 4228 E Andrea Drive, Cave Creek, Arizona. It is a privately held, independent software house rather than a division of a larger group, and it sells its products directly to customers through its website with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The company's product line centres on hand-crafted CAD tools designed for ease of use and ease of learning. Its flagship professional product is FastCAD, described as a high-precision professional 2D/3D CAD system, while EasyCAD is positioned as an easier-to-use 2D CAD system. Both are offered in version 7.5 (recommended for new users) and version 6.5 (maintained for users with dependencies on third-party products or customizations tied to the older version). The company also offers CollectedThought, a visual information organizer, and CADView 7, a free CAD file viewer. The programs run on Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7, with CollectedThought also available for 64-bit Linux. Evolution Computing's history is closely tied to the early microcomputer CAD industry. Its founder, Mike Riddle, wrote the first CAD software for micro-based computers, and the company's first product, Interact, was released in 1979 for the Marinchip 9900. Interact is described by the company as one of the first PC-based CAD programs available and went on to become the architectural basis for early versions of AutoCAD. Over the following decades the company continued to refine its FastCAD and EasyCAD lines, emphasizing performance, customizability and craftsmanship in contrast to larger CAD vendors. Today Evolution Computing remains a small, independent vendor serving CAD users who value speed, precision and direct support. Its product comparison page lists FastCAD 7.5 at $595 and EasyCAD 7.5 at $295 for a new license, with upgrades starting at $125 and free downloads of CADView 7 and 14-day limited demos of the main products. The company continues to operate from Arizona and to sell and support its software directly.

Evolution Computing was founded in 1977 by Mike Riddle, who is described by the company as having written the first CAD software for micro-based computers. The company's early history is intertwined with the emergence of CAD on personal computers. Its first product, Interact, was released in 1979 for the Marinchip 9900 and is described by Evolution Computing as one of the first PC-based CAD programs available. Interact went on to become the architectural basis for the early versions of AutoCAD, the product that would go on to dominate the PC CAD market. Building on that early experience, Evolution Computing developed the FastCAD and EasyCAD product lines, which the company says "literally revolutionized PC CAD performance" by cutting through excessive commands and waiting times. The company has emphasized craftsmanship in software development, positioning its programs as hand-crafted tools refined over years of listening to customers, in contrast to larger CAD vendors that the company notes have come and gone or changed owners several times. By the 2020s, Evolution Computing was offering version 7.5 of FastCAD and EasyCAD as its recommended products, alongside version 6.5 for users with dependencies on older third-party products or customizations. The company also expanded beyond CAD drafting with CollectedThought, a visual information organizer, and CADView 7, a free CAD file viewer. Its products support Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7, with CollectedThought also available for 64-bit Linux. The company continues to operate from Cave Creek, Arizona, selling directly to customers with a 30-day money-back guarantee and offering free trials and demos.

• 1979

  Interact released for the Marinchip 9900, described as one of the first PC-based CAD programs.

• 1977

  Evolution Computing founded by Mike Riddle.

• FastCAD and EasyCAD product lines developed and refined over decades.

• Version 7.5 of FastCAD and EasyCAD offered as recommended products, with version 6.5 maintained for legacy users.

Hand-crafted, high-performance CAD software with an emphasis on ease of use, customizability and direct customer support.

• FastCAD

  High-precision professional 2D/3D CAD system; version 7.5 recommended for new users, version 6.5 for legacy dependencies.

• EasyCAD

  Easy-to-use 2D CAD system; version 7.5 recommended for new users, version 6.5 for legacy dependencies.

• CollectedThought

  Visual information organizer for 64-bit Windows 11, Windows 10 and 64-bit Linux.

• CADView 7

  Free CAD file viewer for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7.

1. 1Evolution Computing Homefastcad.com
2. 2Evolution Computing About Usfastcad.com
3. 3Evolution Computing Product Comparisonfastcad.com
4. 4Wikidata: Evolution Computingwikidata.org